11/18/09 Marco Island, Florida – In the last few weeks, we’ve seen real breakthroughs in the convergence — the integration of computing devices and functions.
Not the least was the announcement by Google’s YouTube that it is adding full high-definition 1080p streaming. This is higher quality than cable companies provide. So what does it mean? It means, among other things, that the networks are now in full panic mode. Already, the trickle of cable television cancellations has begun as users hook computers and media players to HD screens. Up to now, however, the trend has been limited largely to the more technically sophisticated. That’s changing.
True HD streaming and downloading have been available for some time on sites less well known than YouTube. My kids, for example, watch their favorite programs online at sites like Hulu.com, even though they could watch them on our rarely used television. When a feature comes to an important well-known site like YouTube, however, it has become mainstream…
You, as an investor, need to be aware of what’s going on. And frankly, most of my friends my age simply aren’t. Moreover, you shouldn’t be so naïve as to think that it is only hackers who are putting these alternative distribution channels in place. If you think Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin don’t know that they’re helping consumers circumvent the old distribution channels, I’d like to talk to you about some swampland in Florida…
Companies and institutions once thought to be permanent parts of the financial landscape are disintegrating. Others are arising. The entertainment and news industries are reeling from the impact of ‘the network’ while the entire functioning of marketing and advertising is mutating as the Net displaces obsolete communications industries.
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